If you're a young carer, you probably look after one of your parents, or care for a brother or sister. Some of the jobs that you might be doing include:
- cooking,cleaning, shopping, providing nursing and personal care, giving emotional support
With so many adult responsibilities, young carers often miss out on opportunities that other children have to play and learn. Many struggle educationally and are often bullied for being ‘different’. They can become isolated, with no relief from the pressures at home, and no chance to enjoy a normal childhood. They are often afraid to ask for help as they fear letting the family down or being taken into care.
There are many ways that you can receive support and this all stems from the Care Act 2014.
Care Act 2014
Children with caring responsibilities, what rights do they have under the Care Act 2014?
Children and young people aged under the age of 18 who are providing care do have rights to be assessed for care and support. The Children and Families Act 2014 gives carers under the age of 18 the right to an assessment on the appearance of need, they do not have to request one.
The Care Act gives them the right to an assessment as they approach 18 years of age, called a Young Carer's Assessment.
The Care Act also provides that where a disabled adult is being cared for, a local authority must consider whether there are any children involved in providing that care, and if so, what the impact is on that child.
From this act, support needs can be identified and a plan put into place to help and support families so that children can have a normal childhood.
There are other services and charities that also offer support to young carers and their families, one of which is Barnardo’s.
Barnardo’s runs 20 services across the UK who work to support young carers and their families in a variety of ways. These are:
- Helping the family to find the support they need, and are entitled to, from local services, so that a child’s caring responsibilities can be reduced.
- Supporting young carers to use local services such as sports clubs, support groups, and health centres.
- Providing advice and emotional support through counselling and drop-in sessions.
- Liaising with schools so that teachers can better support their students.
- Providing opportunities for young carers to take a break from their caring responsibilities, spend time with other young carers and share experiences.
- Providing opportunities for young carers to learn more about their parent’s illness or disability.
If you feel that you know of someone that might be a young carer or you know of a family with a young carer then please contact one of the social work team and we can discuss the situation and refer so the appropriate services can be accessed.